Monday, April 08, 2013

I picked up some fabrics by Jessica Hogarth on a recent shopping trip just because it reminded me of animation and illustration from my childhood years, in particular this one:

I bought a few matching fabrics and this one from the same line with these cute birds:

I played with my fabrics and came up with a sort of slash and sew design:

but I was stuck at the green border where to go from here? but in my internet search for cool album covers I came across this one by Joseph Low:

Omg! everything old is new again! the style of drawing is so similar to Jessica Hogarth, don't you think....and do you recognize the art style? Apparently Joseph Low is a Caldecott winner for a children's book called Mice Twice and was a frequent cover artist for The New Yorker magazine between 1940-1980.....but I digresss! this album cover inspired me to play with a black and white background, from this:

to this! The converging lines remind me of the opening credits to North by Northwest (Saul Bass) and the added touch of The Birds fabric make this the perfect Alfred Hitchcock tribute don't you think?

Friday, April 05, 2013

My husband collects vinyl. Records, that is. We have been spend a lot of time at used record shops when we go on vacation. I like to check out fabric and quilt shops and he likes the used record stores. I have found a new way to enjoy my time in the record shop, checking out the album covers! Many of them are quite inspirational from a quilting perspetive! I have come across quite a few artists that I like and want to collect.

It started with Saul Bass:

He designed everything in the 1960's, really. ok exaggeration! He was a graphic designer famous for such iconic logos as Kleenex, Quaker Oats, United Way, and Dixie cups. He did title sequences and posters for movies such as North by Northwest, It's a Mad,Mad World, Man with the Golden Arm, and Anatomy of a Murder. I think he is one of the most copied designers ever.

This stuff makes me want to run to the sewing machine and make bright bold colourful quilts!

Then I discovered S. Neil Fujita, another designer, best known for the cover to the novel The Godfather.

I soon discovered jazz is where it is at for inspirational album covers!
Jim Flora: